1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to web pages and more specifically relates to an apparatus and method for hindering multiple requests that may be inadvertently made by a user.
2. Background Art
Since the dawn of the computer age, computer systems have evolved into extremely sophisticated devices, and computer systems may be found in many different settings. The widespread proliferation of computers prompted the development of computer networks that allow computers to communicate with each other. With the introduction of the personal computer (PC), computing became accessible to large numbers of people. Networks for personal computers were developed that allow individual users to communicate with each other.
One significant computer network that has recently become very popular is the Internet. The Internet grew out of this proliferation of computers and networks, and has evolved into a sophisticated worldwide network of computer system resources commonly known as the “world-wide-web”, or WWW. A user at an individual PC (i.e., workstation) that wishes to access the Internet typically does so using a software application known as a web browser. A web browser makes a connection via the Internet to other computers known as web servers, and receives information from the web servers that is rendered to the user's workstation. Information transmitted from the web server to the web browser is generally formatted using a specialized language called Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and is typically organized into pages known as web pages.
Online merchants have discovered the value of selling their goods via the Internet. Many allow users to place goods in a virtual “shopping cart”, then when the user is prepared to finalize the purchase, they proceed to the “checkout.” At this stage, all of the items in the user's shopping cart are displayed with their prices, tax, shipping and handling, and a total amount due is shown to the user. The user can then enter credit card information, and pressing a “submit” button sends the credit card information to the merchant, which then authenticates the credit card and receives an authorization for the sale. One potential problem that exists is that, if precautions are not taken, a user's order may be inadvertently submitted twice. For example, if the user clicks the submit button, then reloads the page, the information in the form will be re-submitted, causing the order to be entered twice. Of course, an online merchant could monitor for duplicate orders within a short time period, and could simply invalidate the second (duplicate) order. However, if the user continues browsing for some time, and then presses the “Back” button on the browser repeatedly until the order page is reloaded, the time span between orders could be sufficient to fool the online merchant into thinking that the second order is a new order, causing double the order (and hence, double the expense to the user). This results in great inconvenience to the user, who has to return the unwanted goods and go through the hassle of getting money refunded for the duplicate order. Without a mechanism and method for easily and effectively hindering multiple submission requests, online merchants will be plagued with the problem of inadvertent duplicate orders, or will be forced to use sophisticated methods for inhibiting multiple submission requests.